By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid beat still top-placed Fenerbahce Beko 101 – 86 and bounced back to victories, improving its EuroLeague record to 19 – 6.
This 15-point margin is the biggest in a Fenerbahce defeat this season, including results in both EuroLeague and BSL. It also marks the first time Fener received 101 points in a non-overtime EuroLeague game under Zeljko Obradovic. And it all happened thanks to a particularly potent second half by the “Blancos, propelled by Sergio Llull (17 points, 10 assists).
“Last year we didn’t have him and suffered without him, but this year, for me, it was even worse, because he was coming in and out. I think he was very solid today and we put up a little bit of the tempo of the game,” Real Madrid coach Pablo Laso said on Llull’s performance.
Real dominated the third period 25 – 16 thanks to Llull scoring and dishing dimes at will and Edy Tavares (11 points, five rebounds) putting on work on both ends. Fener lost its sync on offense after producing 45 points in the first half behind Kostas Sloukas’ performance (11 points, five assists at halftime and 15 points, seven assists at the end) and eventually trailed 81 – 61 at the beginning of the fourth period. Real had no problems preserving a safe advantage.
It was Fener that had the reins in the beginning, leading 10 – 16 near the end of the first quarter. Backed by Anthony Randolph (15 points in the first half, 21 overall), Real reacted and closed halftime up 52 – 45 before taking over after the teams’ return from the locker rooms.
Jaycee Carroll added 12 points for Real. Jan Vesely and Marko Guduric scored 12 apiece for Fener that dropped to 21 – 4.